On-Campus Research Grant: DLab⁺ Challenge

Is it possible to accurately predict what innovations will emerge decades from now? Just as it was impossible to perfectly predict the widespread adoption of today’s smartphones and generative AI, it is likely impossible to fully predict what will happen decades from now. However, predicting when innovation will occur should be possible by scientifically analyzing the circumstances under which it has occurred in the past. We will utilize archaeology, public health, and physics to predict the timing of future innovations and uncover the means to control them.

This study aims to establish “space sociology,” a new interdisciplinary field spanning the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, in response to humanity’s expansion into space. By contrasting corporate-led development trends with historical colonialism and ethical issues, we will develop a phased model of institutional transformation and the evolution of social structures from the early to late stages of lunar society. Based on cave-like living spaces, we will reorganize architectural, lifestyle, and labor patterns, and comprehensively analyze challenges such as the perception of time, food, health, and population. We aim to visualize our findings through science fiction prototyping and expert dialogue, with the goal of creating an independent intellectual framework.